There Are Things That Never Die
by Alpha Three
Summary: There are things that never die. Love is one of them. So someone decides to let a girl into the ABC... this is the result. Rated T for the deaths on the barricades (to be safe) :(. Perhaps even a choose-your-own-ending (we will see about that...) Enj/OC, Reviews are appreciated!
1. Enjolras

In the spring of 1832, a man named Enjolras lived under the rule of King Louis-Philippe. He was a student, barely twenty-two years old, but a revolutionary who went out every day with a belief in his heart and a rosette on his jacket.

The spring of 1832 brought with it even more shortages of food, an increase in the cost of scraping by, and a widespread outbreak of cholera. The sick, the poor, destitute beggars – they swarmed the streets of Paris.

The man called Enjolras had just headed out from his rented room above the Corinthe wine shop when he passed a crowd milling around a shouting woman. Thinking it was another bread riot, he passed on by, already late for a meeting in the Café Musain.

When he arrived, he found that Combeferre, the second in command, of their little revolutionary following, was not there. This was highly unusual…


	2. Welcome to the Revolution

The gathering, in fact, was not a bread riot at all. Combeferre had been standing nearby when an unassuming woman who looked to be doing her shopping stepped up on an overturned crate and shouted, "When's this going to end? Where is this man who calls himself a king?! I am paying hundreds of sous for black bread while this man stuffs his face with cake!"

Combeferre immediately listened i. he could soon tell that this was not just another angry woman – she seemed to actually want to do something with her anger. He fought his way through the crowd and was at the front of the group when the police arrived.

The woman ran, but was quickly being cornered by officers. There was no time to lose – Combeferre grabbed her wrist and pulled her into the crowd. They didn't stop running until they reached the Café Musain.

As he opened the door, he began to explain, "Mademoiselle-"

"Alice, please," the woman interjected.

"Alice, then," he guided her into the back room where the Friends of the ABC were meeting, "Welcome to the revolution."


	3. Alice

There lived in Paris a very wealthy family, second only to Louis-Philippe himself. While the Marquis d'Arnaud had been "martyred on the battlefield for his country", his wife and four children remained in high society.

Madame Arnaud had a servant girl who she treated terribly. The youngest children hated her for not being "pretty" in the eyes of their mother (unlike their dolls, whom were treated better than the servant girl), and they berated her constantly. The two girls, Helene and Eloise, would put up a fuss every time she tried to help them dress, and inevitably complained to their mother. Madame Arnaud believed them, of course. The younger boy, Caelin, hated her too. He would mess up rooms that she had just cleaned and attack her when she was bringing in the shopping, spilling everything.

The oldest, Pierre, was a student at the Sorbonne. He didn't have anything against the servant girl. He didn't hate her and was totally indifferent to her. He paid her no mind.

Madame Arnaud hated her with everything she had. She sent the girl on the worst errands, made her slave away cleaning, and denied her food if her expectations were not met. In many ways, Madame Arnaud treated her just like a certain Madame Thénardier had treated a girl called Cosette.

It was in this respect that she had dismissed the girl after she was late with the shopping on a rainy day.

Since then, the girl had taken up lodging above the Corinthe wine shop in exchange for working for the kindly Madame Hucheloup. She lodged near a few others; Matelote and Gibelotte worked with her, another woman who worked down the street at a tailor's shop, a man employed by a fan maker, another man who had just started selling shoes, and a student. The student particularly annoyed her – he seemed wrapped up in his own world, never offering her more than a "bonjour".


	4. The ABC Meeting

Combeferre told her to sit in the back – their leader frowned on women being there. An angelic-looking man was striding around on a platform as he spoke. He paused to welcome Combeferre, and Alice recognized him as the bothersome student lodging near her in the Corinthe.

His lecture was interrupted again when a boy, little more than a child said a bit too loudly, "Bonjour, Monsieur Ferre. What's that lovely mad'moiselle you've brought in?"

"Ssh! A new world is dawning, and we will force the sun to rise! All we await is a sign that the people are ready to join us and fight, that the world is ready for a new chapter in its history. Remember, my friends, we will be meeting again in the Corinthe Saturday night. We will force a new day to dawn!"" The student stepped down and the crowd began to file out.

Combeferre explained to the student that he introduced as Enjolras the situation. "I really do think she could make a great Ami."

"You know we frown upon that. I'll talk to her. I know you need to get back to work," Enjolras told him.

"I'm right here," Alice said Combeferre left, "Don't talk like I'm not right here."

They walked in cold silence to the Corinthe, a better place for a discussion of that sort/ "Alice, sit," Enjolras pulled two chairs to an empty table, "Why are you here, really?"


	5. In Which Hucheloup Coughs

"I'm your neighbor. You seriously don't recognize me?" Alice asked.

"I've never seen you there."

"People often miss what they aren't looking for."

"Well, where did you come from? Won't your parents let you stay at home? You aren't a revolutionary, surely…" Enjolras asked.

"My parents are dead, if you must now. Where are yours? Don't they want their little boy to finish school before starting a revolution?"

"My mother is the Republic. My real mother died when I was young. My father… he would have been better off dead. He was drunk and hated his son. Well, he hated everyone, but especially me."

"Well, who are you? The ABC, I mean."

"We are brothers," he said solemnly.

"And you let in a child, but not a woman."

'We don't let women in," Enjolras calmly told her.

"And why not? In a people's rebellion, women know the city better than the men, and only from doing their shopping!"Madame Hucheloup was now observing them slyly.

"It's a risk. The men are distracted enough…"

"You'll lose half of your rebellion right there!"

"So be it, women can't be expected to fight," Enjolras was still calm while Alice was getting angrier by the second.

"Maybe you've never tried fighting one," she challenged.

"I would never."

"Then you'll never know if we can fight," she stood, turning to go to her room, "Listen, I'll await your word, your majesty," she bowed, "but I won't wait too long to join in your little club. If you won't let me in, tell me outright. Your band of schoolboys won't last a day without me."

She was starting up the stairs when Enjolras sighed and called after her, "You're in!"

With a hidden smirk, Alice went upstairs.

Madame Hucheloup coughed, taking Enjolras' attention away from the echo of Alice climbing the stairs. "She fancies you."

"She **hates **me," Enjolras shook his head, "She absolutely hates me."

"Hmm… we'll see about that," Hucheloup remarked.


	6. Saturday's Meeting

Saturday night came quickly. Alice had sat near Combeferre, Joly, and a new fellow called Marius, and an increasingly drunken Grantaire to listen in on their discussion.

"The old fellow is dying," remarked Grantaire, "Lamarque does nothing."

"Cholera is crippling, she can't be blamed for that. He is the only one who speaks for the people," Combeferre objected.

"Cholera?" Joly looked worried.

"He does less than I," Grantaire said.

He won't last much longer, but he still fights for us, even on his deathbed."

"Fight? The old buffoon doesn't know a gun from a lampshade."

Alice has had enough. "Napoleon died for his army. Lamarque is willing to die for his country – for his people, the people of Paris, all people."

"The oppressed," said Enjolras sat down, greeting her with a smile. Even though their personalities clashed, he had to admit that she was right.


	7. Saturday Night is Date Night

By their next meeting, Alice had warmed up slightly to the revolutionary leader.

Enjolras, however, had changed completely. He didn't know how or why, but he no longer saw the obstinate, headstrong and sarcastic woman that had come in to a meeting a few weeks earlier. Instead he saw a passionate leader, a willing fighter, and mostly, a beautiful woman.

She was arguing politics with Courfeyrac, sitting by Enjolras, who hadn't taken his eyes off of her for so long that Prouvaire had drawn her likeness, Feuilly labeling it, "For Enjolras – the Revolution."

"Will she run her mouth forever, or will she ever face the court," muttered Grantaire.

Everyone had left, Alice staying behind to clean up, as was her job at the Corinthe. She hadn't noticed Enjolras watching her until she turned to go up the stairs. In the faint glow of the fire, he looked like a hauntingly handsome angel. "Alice… umm…"

"Yes?" she smiled, enjoying seeing the man who could harness the power of words lose his tongue.

"Uh…um…Ireallythinkyou'rebeautifulandniceandanamaz ingpersonanddoyouwanttogooutwithmewe'dhavetokeepit quietbecausetheAmiswouldbeinanuproarandIthinksomeo fthemcanalreadytell…"

"Ssh," she smiled, "Enjolras, yes." She kissed his cheek and headed upstairs.

Enjolras watched her go, raising a hand to his face, partially in amazement. The innocent, angelic man of marble didn't have a stone heart after all. He didn't have a heart at all – Alice had stolen it, and if his life depended on it, he couldn't have told you why or how. He didn't know it himself.

Madame Hucheloup came by, clucking her tongue and mumbling, "I told you so…"


	8. Red & Black: the First of June

The next day was the first of June, a day that would become quite important to the revolution. Enjolras woke up thinking that the last day was a dream, but Alice's smile confirmed that it had been real. She said nothing, since the members of Les Amis de l'ABC were arriving.

"The National Guard is a dangerous foe, with men and arms that we can never expect to match, even with all of Paris on our side," Enjolras spoke as Marius entered late, Grantaire offering him a drink. "It is time for us all to decide who we are. Are you with me?" A cheer rose up, although Marius' arrival had caused quite a bit of attention now that he was going on about a girl.

"Marius, who cares about your lonely soul?" Enjolras admonished, "Our lives don't count at all."

"Tell that to your girlfriend," Marius replied.

"Patria is the country, little lovebird," Jehan chimed.

"No, this one has curly black hair and dark eyes," Marius said matter-of-factly, "What about your soul, Enjolras? Where was the revolution when you were fawning after her?"

All eyes turned to Enjolras, who was silent for a moment.

"General Lamarque is dead!" came a cry, diverting all attention to little Gavroche, who had just run in. Grantaire, who had thumped his glass down on the table with a hearty laugh, fell silent. "Lamarque is dead!" the child repeated.

The atmosphere changed, gathering the energy of a thunderstorm about to burst as Enjolras yelled over the resulting cacophony, "his death is the sign we await! On his funeral day, we will honor his name – at the tomb of Lamarque, the people will rise! This is it, this is war!"

When the jubilant men had all left, Enjolras walked Alice up to her room, saying, "This is it, can you believe it? The fifth – it's so soon. There's so much to do… Alice, we only have a few days until our new world begins!"

She smiled at the radiance in his eyes, saying, "Good job, Enjolras. But there's still a battle – a war – to be won. It'll be worth it when we're dining in the Tuileries. They all love you. They would follow you into Hell itself."

"Well, I love you," he smiled, kissing her cheek.

Alice gave him a hug back, whispering in his ear, "Be careful. Please."


	9. Prepare for War

The next few days were spent in a whirlwind of gathering weapons, winning support, and ferreting out gunpowder. Enjolras and many of the others were scouring the town for weapons, while Alice and Gavroche had taken to the streets to find support.

"Look at all of us! We're the sweepings of the street! No one shows us any mercy – we have to fight for it!" Alice was attracting a crowd now. A few ABC members listened in as they walked by, stopping for a few seconds and then proceeding to their tasks, but there were plenty of new faces in the crowd. "Look at us! Look at your fellow man. Come and join us! Where is this man who dares to call himself a king? He is eating your bread, leaching every sou you have!"

"How do you do, lords and ladies? My name's Gavroche," Gavroche mounted the platform, "You are my people, my mothers and fathers. We live on the crumbs of piety, but I want cake too! We'll be wearing the king's robes and eating off of golden plates soon. Stand up and fight with me!"

"Tell your fathers, husbands, brothers, tell everyone you meet!" Alice instructed them, "at the tomb of Lamarque, our new world will begin!"

Meanwhile, Enjolras, Courfeyrac, Combeferre, and Feuilly, who had closed his shop "until the new day dawns" according to the sign on his door, were loading the Corinthe like an armory. Hucheloup was none too pleased, but she let them go about their business. They could stage as many revolutions as they wanted as long as they cleaned up after themselves.

Enjolras was in great spirits, both because of Alice and the revolt, and his delight was infecting the others. Even Grantaire was enthusiastic, though he hadn't picked up a bottle all day.


	10. To the Barricades!

Everything had gone according to plan. As the casket was being paraded through the streets, Alice turned to Enjolras, squeezed his hand, and asked loudly, "Do you hear the people sing?"

He joined her, saying, "Singing the song of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again!" Enjolras held up a red banner, alarming the crowd and shouting, "Death to the King! Liberty for France!"

As they took charge of the procession, Combeferre addressed the uneasy crowd, "Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me?"

Feuilly added, "Will you give all you can give, so that our banner may advance? Some will fall and some will live, will you stand up and take your chance?"

"Brave men of the Republic, this is the day! Between the Chatelet, the Arsenal, and the Faubourg St-Antoine! Rue St-Martin, St-Denis, and de la Chanvererie! To the stronghold of St—Martin! This is the day that we change the world!" Enjolras was beaming, commanding the group from the top of the procession, "This is the day that the people will rise!"

Someone audibly leveled a gun. Alice held her breath, waiting. Before she could so much as scream, five more guns were leveled, all in the direction of the lone man targeting Enjolras. All of Paris held its breath with Alice. All of Paris was afraid.

"I wouldn't dare!" Bahorel yelled, a group of the Amis moving to stand by Enjolras, their weapons still trained on the man.

A cry of "Long live Poland!" was heard, but it was overshadowed by Enjolras commanding three fateful words… "To the barricades!"


	11. Watch the Devil Dance

"Oh, the world is ending!" Madame Hucheloup wrung her hands on her apron, watching her shop get demolished.

"Then run," Alice advised. She obviously took that advice, since she and the other girls were soon nowhere to be found.

Enjolras, meanwhile, was arguing with Grantaire. "You can't stay here and disgrace the barricade. You are incapable of believing, of thinking, of willing, of living, and of dying."

"You will see," hiccupped the drunken man.

Exasperated, Enjolras went to check on the barricade. Alice watched him go, another man walking in the door as he left. This man didn't look familiar. He had not been to any of the meetings, and she thought there was an air of misdeed about him. When Enjolras returned, she pulled him to the side and whispered, "I think he's a spy."

Gavroche ran up to the pair of them and immediately confirmed this. "That's police inspector Javert!" he whispered excitedly.

Enjolras strode up to the man, looking like an ancient god of wrath in the gloomy light. "Are you a spy?" he asked bluntly.

"I am an agent of the authorities. My name is Javert."

He was hastily tied to a pole and searched. "Take the bastard now and shoot him! Let's see the devil dance! You would have done the same, inspector, had we given you the chance," a man spat as he walked by.

Javert gave them all a piercing look, "Shoot me now or shoot me later, every schoolboy to his sport. I wish death to each and every traitor, and I renounce your people's court."

Alice marched up to him, ignoring Enjolras' plea that he wasn't worth it. "Though we may not all survive here, there are things that _**never**_ die."

"What's the difference?" hiccupped Grantaire, who had not left yet, "die a schoolboy, did a policeman, die a spy?"


	12. The War of the Streets Begins

"You have one minute," Enjolras somberly told a man named Le Cabuc. He had shot an innocent man while Alice was inside the Corinthe, and now Enjolras, as the leader, had to be the one to dole out justice.

When Alice joined the group around Cabuc, he took no notice. As Enjolras readied his gun, Cabuc whimpered, mumbling a prayer. Seconds before he pulled the trigger, Alice saw Enjolras mumble, "G-d forgive me."

Cabuc crumpled, Enjolras gravely telling the group, "As executioner, I have judged myself also. You shall soon see to what I have condemned myself."

"Enjolras, No," Alice broke from the crowd to give him a hug, avoiding Cabuc's body, "please don't."

"I've killed a man. I don't deserve to live after the revolution is over and share in the new world with the innocent. I fight to die on my own terms." He looked both angelic and terrible in the flickering light of the barricade.

"No," Alice looked up at him, tears sparkling in her eye, "Enjolras, please…for me… I love you."

Something broke behind his eyes, and Enjolras, disregarding the crowd, pulled her close and gave her a kiss.

Someone whistled, another clapped, and yet another wiped a tear from his eye and mumbled something under his breath. Only later would it be realized that he – she – had said, "Marius, where are you?" But another voice broke in. "Congratulations, Enjolras, but the Guard is coming!" Gavroche shouted.

Everything happened at once: Combeferre and a few others who had weapons on them ran to the barricade, those unarmed went o the Corinthe, grabbed their weapons, and returned, Bahorel ran for bullets, and a very pink-in-the-face Enjolras hugged Alice and ran to the head of his troops. Alice ran to the Corinthe, returned with a gun, and followed Enjolras onto the barricade as the bell in the tower of the Notre Dame Cathedral struck ten.

It was eerily silent as she climbed the barricade and reached Enjolras. A cry came from the dark, "Who goes there?"

As she intertwined her fingers with his, Enjolras smiled and called back, "French revolution!"

A command came – "Fire!" he war of the streets had begun.


	13. Retrieve the Flag

The flag had fallen, and an old man marched forward, volunteering to return it. It was Mabeuf, who normally carried books wherever he went. Alice had seen him at the Corinthe a few times. He was a nice man, well read and wise beyond his many years, a practical philosopher.

He was quickly mown down by the National Guard. Alice held open the door of the Corinthe as some of the men carried his body inside and laid it respectfully on a table in the room that held the spy Javert. The man deserved as much respect as General Lamarque. He had quite literally died for his flag.

"This is our flag now," Enjolras held up the man's blood-soaked jacket, putting it on the flag pole, "That man was a hero. He volunteered when none of you young men did. He died for all of us, for our flag and our cause."

The National Guard continued to fight, Bahorel rushing back to the barricade as soon as Mabeuf's body was set down, only to be fallen by a bayonet, dying in an arc of clashing light and passion.

Alice watched him fall, his pain reflected in her eyes as she aimed for the soldier who had mortally wounded him, putting a shot through his eye mercilessly. She was a better shot than half of the men on the barricade.

They were in a bad position – the Guard was about to advance to take them when a miracle happened. "I'll blow it up and take you with me!" came a shout. Marius had arrived on the barricade.


	14. Prouvaire and Eponine

"Prouvaire, where's Prouvaire?" Feuilly asked.

« A captive, » answered Laigle, « We can exchange him for this one."

The National Guard had backed off, and most of the Amis were now inside the Corinthe. Combeferre, Feuilly, Courfeyrac, Laigle and Joly were taking up most of the room. Marius had remained outside, and Gavroche had disappeared, running an errand of some sort or another. Enjolras had sat down, wrapping an arm around Alice in silence, no one taking notice in the crisis.

"Vive la France!" They rushed out to the barricade. Alice looked out from behind a table in time to see Prouvaire, who was indeed a captive, pass by. "Long live France! Long live the future!" A report resounded.

"They've killed him!" Combeferre said fort those who weren't in a position to see over the barricade.

As Alice turned away, she heard a voice from inside the Corinthe say, "Your friends have just shot you."

She was headed back when she heard a faint voice. Peering around the wine shop wall, she saw a woman lying in a pool of blood. It was Eponine, one of the kindest but most unfortunate people that she had ever met. Marius held her as she smiled the sad smile of those who know that they are about to die. "By the way, Monsieur Marius," she whispered hoarsely, "I believe that I was a little bit in love with you." And with that, Eponine quitted her sad life, cut short by love. As Marius planted a kiss on the dead woman's brow, Alice went to find Enjolras.

Without a word, she gave him a tight hug. As though he understood, Enjolras held her close and whispered, "I'll keep you safe as long as I can."

All she could manage to say was, "I love you."


	15. Two Hours

Enjolras called for two hours of rest in the hours before dawn. They had made it to June sixth. Just one day more…

As he and Alice passed through the Corinthe, she heard him mumble, "This is the hall of the dead…"

They sat down together, watching the barricade as the others went about talking, playing cards, and looking for more ammunition. Alice laid her head on his shoulder, both not wanting to leave each other for fear that this may be the last few moments that they spend alive together.

"Please tell me we aren't going to die here in this lonely barricade," Alice whispered.

"If you die here, I die here," he answered tenderly.

Two hours later, they were awoken by Gavroche laughing at the two of them cuddled up together. However, a report that reached them cut his laughter short. It was dawn, and they were tha lat barricade left.


	16. Don't Leave Me

"The people have not stirred. We are abandoned by those who still live in fear. They have not heard, but we will not abandon those who cannot hear. Let all of the women and fathers of children go from here."

As five men were selected to leave, a man arrived with a uniform that allowed for the fifth to pass unnoticed by the National Guard. Enjolras, grateful but realistic, told the new arrival, "Welcome, citizen. You know that we are about to die." The man simply nodded and began helping the men don their uniforms.

Enjolras turned to Alice and told her, "I love you. I can't bear to see you die. Run and hide, darling."

"No, I'm not leaving you," she hugged him fiercely, "I can't let you die without me. If I die, it will be with you."

"Hide in the wine shop. If I die, know that I will always love you. My last thoughts will be of you." He gave her a sad kiss.

"If I hear gunshots, I'm going to make sure they you're okay," she smiled, dropping his hands to unclasp her necklace. It was simple, only one diamond that sparkled in the half light of the sunrise over the barricade, a unique and terrible sight. "Take this," she said, hooking it around his neck, "This was my mother's. It's the last memory of her that I have. It's always brought me good luck. Oh Enjolras, stay safe!" she flung herself into his arms once more, this time on the verge of tears.

Noticing that everyone was watching them, Enjolras began to speak, still hugging Alice tightly, "Revolutions light up the human race for the common right. Everything comes from light, even us, and everything will return to it. A revolution is the cost of bringing a new, pure light to the world. My brothers, those who will lay down their lives on this barricade are sparks of glory. We will enter a tomb all flooded with the dawn."

"No," Alice said, speaking into his chest, "Don't let go. Don't leave me. You can't die, Enjolras, I love you."

Just as she said this, a shot was fired. The National Guard was back, coming in just as the sun rose.

They no longer had any hope – they had despair, the last weapon of a dying man.


	17. The Dream He Dreamed

**A.N.: THIS IS FOR ELENA3579, AN EPONINE FAN!**

* * *

Enjolras had rushed into battle, bringing justice as if he held the flaming sword of an archangel. Combeferre fought by his side, Alice smiling at the sight of them. They truly all did seem like brothers.

She passed through the hall of the dead to get more ammunition, stopping at the corpse of Eponine.

Alice had nearly run straight into the girl in the market one day. She had just taken her post at the Corinthe and was running errands for Madame Hucheloup when she ran into a destitute man begging for a sou or two. She had taken pity on him and his wife, giving them a few francs since she had seen them begging plenty of times before.

It was at that moment that the man lunged for her necklace, the one that she had given to Enjolras for good luck. A girl in rags had yelled, "Father, no! I know her! That's not worth anything, it's only glass!"

When the police showed up, the beggars fled. The inspector that they currently had tied to a pole was one of them, perhaps the most feared by the poor. The girl introduced herself as Eponine and they started to make their way out of the market. Alice went on to buy the girl lunch at the Corinthe, probably the first good meal that she had eaten in a very long time.

She vividly remembered passing by a group of people swarming around two men in the square in front of the Café Musain. Enjolras and Marius were speaking to the buzzing crowd (Alice had only found out their names later on) and Eponine was transfixed, so they stopped to watch.

Alice watched the man in the red coat, full of fervor and presenting a great message. Art that time, she had focused on the words and not the man.

Eponine, on the other hand, was watching the other man as a museum patron would watch the statue of David, full of awe. When Alice asked who they were, all Eponine said was, "Marius."

After that, Eponine had dropped by the Corinthe a few times to see Alice (and eventually almost expecting lunch, to which Alice always treated her), often bringing news about the revolution that she had picked up off the streets.

Alice gazed sadly at the crippled shell of the brave woman who had died for the man that she loved. The only =comforting thought was that she died in his arms, finally happy.

A burst of gunfire brought Alice back to her dreadful reality. Rushing outside, she overheard Combeferre saying, "He may be your brother."

'He is," Enjolras gravely replied.

"He is mine as well. Well, let us not kill him," Combeferre lowered his weapon.

"No, let me do it alone. It must be done." Enjolras fired and the artillery sergeant fell. As he climbed down to reach Alice, a single tear streaked down his face. She gave him a silent kiss, and more importantly, much needed ammunition.

"Alice, I had a dream," he told her sadly, "Just a little while ago, I had a dream that we had won. We were climbing the barricade, your hand in one of mine and the flag of a free France in the other."

"That's beautiful," she smiled.

He didn't. "That dream is dead."


	18. Bold as Fire

The firing suddenly stopped, all of the men gathering in the wine shop. "Will we die like this, Enjolras? As starving men? We could at least have a meal before we die," one of them asked.

"Dead men don't need food, and neither do condemned men," Enjolras sighed.

"We will live," Alice argued, "And I will go and find you all some food."

"She is an angel!" Feuilly laughed, "Willing to feed dead men!"

"Gentlemen, I am leaving the barricade for a little while," she said, alarming Enjolras, "I will be back within the hour."

Bossuet was conversing with a group in the back of the room, saying, "It's amazing how a man as cold as ice can be as cold as fire. He has no one to fight for, and yet he fights for all of us." (They were discussing Enjolras, of course.)

Enjolras, meanwhile, had embraced Alice, saying, "I know I can't stop you. Be safe." He hooked her necklace back around her neck, saying, "Let this bring you good luck, my love."

"Mon amour?" Gavroche's ears perked up, "What did monsieur say?"

In response, Enjolras gave Alice a kiss and then sadly watching her go, mumbling, "G-d be with you."

As soon as the door closed, a commotion started. "When did this happen?" "You finally found Patria?"

Enjolras didn't respond. "That's why you let her stay." "That's why he even bothered letting her become an Ami." "Getting married soon, Enjolras?" "Will we have a barricade themed wedding?"

"If only we make it out…" he mumbled.

Twenty harrowing minutes later, Alice arrived back, Enjolras almost running to hug her (much to the amusement of the others). While Alice back safe was all Enjolras cared about, the others were calling, "Did you find anything?"

She passed out bread that she had gotten in another part of Paris, telling them that while they fought here, in an almost stand-still of time, life was still going on outside for the others unencumbered by the "small fighting" on the Rue de la Chanvererie.

"This is definitely it. Fight or abandon – we're definitely the last ones fighting, and we are most defiantly fighting alone. No one is coming to help us," she reported.

"We fight," said Enjolras, "we will shed their blood for as long as we can. We will make them pay for what they've done and avenge every man and woman who died here. We are not alone. Others will rise to take our places when we fall."

"Until the earth is free," Alice added.

""Until the earth is free."


	19. 11 AM

The soldiers had found a new artillery sergeant - they were back. Enjolras had delayed them, but they had returned to take their revenge.

"We're out of cartridges."

"I'll go, Bold as Fire," Gavroche laughed at Enjolras and ran to the other side of the barricade.

"No! Get back here, one of us will go!" Courfeyrac yelled trying to grab his ankle as the boy crawled through the barricade. It was a narrow miss.

He hopped from corpse to corpse, singing as he flew around like a hummingbird. He dodged shot after shot, all of the Guard now training their weapons at him, all of the barricade watching in fear.

A bullet finally struck the child, the whole barricade shuddering as his song was cut short by a second shot that found it's mark. MARIUS AND Combeferre ran out to get the boy, disregarding the bullets flying all around them. Combeferre cradled the child, Marius retrieving the basket of ammunition that the boy had gone out for, both of them making it safely back to the barricade.

Combeferre was teary-eyed, telling anyone who would listen, "do you know what he said as I picked him up? 'Eponine?' like he was seeing his sister again!"

Alice turned tearily to Enjolras, finding solace only with his strong arms around her. "He was a child, Enjolras. Only a child…"

"We all are. But if we die, we will all go down fighting, taking as many of them along with us as we can. It will be a masterpiece for the ages."

There was a silence all around. Alice looked up at Enjolras, and started to suing, "Do you hear the people sing? Signing the song of angry men? It is the music of a people who will not be slaves again."

Others joined in randomly until the whole barricade was singling, an eerie sound from outside. "Will you join in our crusade? Who will be strong and stand with me? Will you give all you can give so that our banner may advance?"

Enjolras beamed; his brothers were willing to stay with him until the very end. "This is what we do in Hell," Alice smiled up at him sadly, "we sing."


	20. The Death of a Spy

They went back out to the battle, Enjolras telling them all, "The last man to leave will smash the skull of this spy. Take him out of the barricade and do not mix his blood with our own."

As the spy Javert was untied, a man stepped up, volunteering to take him, claiming his death as the reward for saving the barricade. Enjolras granted him this right.

As Alice and Enjolras left the room, the spy yelled, "We shall meet again soon! You are dead men, all of you! The lady may have lived, if she was not assisting you traitors! I will see you all in Hell!"

Enjolras walked solemnly on, but Alice, who held his hand, pulled him back before closing the door and said in an almost respectful tone, "I'm sorry, inspector, but you must not realize… we're already there."


	21. Until Death

Alice took up a position fighting, much to Enjolras' disapproval. He hated seeing her in the line of fire, but she was a dead shot – once they were her target, no one escaped.

The Corinthe was putting up a good fight, the windows riddles with grapeshot but otherwise relatively unarmed. This was not the case for the fighters, though. Bossuet, Joly and Feuilly had fallen. "Courfeyrac!" Combeferre was crawling over the barricade to reach the wounded man. Just as he reached his friend, Alice noticed him and with a heavy heart had to yell, "No! It isn't worth it! Save yourself!". Combeferre was sliced through with a bayonet, looking to the heavens as he fell beside his friend.

Alice swiftly disposed of the man who had killed Combeferre, but the damage had been done. The center of the barricade had literally fallen. The self-preservation instinct in some of the men kicked in, a few of them running to surrender, in hopes that they wouldn't be shot as traitors.

Enjolras appeared at her side, killing the office who had led the charge. "Get inside! Get upstairs, now!" He pulled open the door to the wine shop, shielding the remaining fighters with his body until they were all inside.

The door slammed with a force that made the whole shop tremble. Enjolras bolted it several times, even putting a chair under the lock. When he turned to join the others upstairs, Alice was standing there waiting. "What are you doing?! Run!"" he asked as he pulled her up the stairs.

"I'm not leaving you."

The door was breached when they made it upstairs. The National Guardsmen didn't even bother climbing the stairs, they simply fired into the roof, which soon dripped blood like rain.

Enjolras pulled Alice to the edge of the upstairs room as the men began to fall from the bullets fired below. They made it into another room, the last fighters left alive.

Enjolras retreated into a corner, behind a billiard table with Alice. "There's still time. Climb into the rafters and hide."

She squeezed his hand and said, "I fight until I die. I love you, Enjolras. I'm not leaving you."

Enjolras looked her in the eye, the toll of the battle showing on his face. He looked like a defeated angel. His face contained all of the beauty and all of the horror in the world. "I love you too, but others will rise to take my place until the earth is free. They want me, not you. They want to see me die," his voice finally broke, "Alice, I don't want to have to see you die." The Guard was trying to break down the door as he said, "My last thoughts will be of you. I love you."

"I love you too." He helped her climb into the rafters where she could not be seen and gave her a kiss, their tears mixing together. Alice gave him a fierce hug, Enjolras finally having to break it as the door gave way. He was behind the billiard table when the soldiers entered.

"Shoot me," he said, flinging his gun away. Alice watched in wide-eyed terror.


	22. Do You Permit It?

**AN: After this chapter, you will be able to choose your ending. If you would like a happier ending, keep reading this story's updates. If you would like to read the sadder ending, I will be posting it as a separate story called "The Martyr". I will try to update both at the same time so you can have new chapters for both, but no promises. Thanks for all of the reviews and support. Read one, or read both, and let me know which one you liked better.**

"Shoot me," said Enjolras. Alice watched in horror. He moved his rosette directly above his heart, saying, "I'll even give you a target."

One of the thirteen men stepped back, not wanting to shoot the man they had cornered. As the twelve remaining men readied their guns, the leader asked, "Do you wish to have your eyes bandaged?"

"No," said Enjolras calmly, "I want you to be able to look in my eyes as you kill your brother."

"Take aim!'

"Wait! I am one of them! Vive la France! Vive le révolution!" Grantaire strode in, woken from his drunken slumber by an unearthly silence. Turing to Enjolras, he asked, "Do you permit it?"

""Yes," the condemned man solemnly replied. They linked hands, ready to face death bravely.

"Take aim!"

Enjolras didn't move his head, but his gaze shifted almost imperceptibly to Alice. Tears ran rivers through the grime on her face, but she mouthed, "I love you," as the order came to fire. She grimaced, very nearly yelling out, but Enjolras fell with a smile toying at the corner of his mouth. He had understood.

Enjolras was pierced by eight bullets, the other four striking Grantaire. Many of the men had obviously wanted the honor of taking out the leader.

Only Grantaire died immediately.


	23. The Soldiers Return

The soldiers filed out and Alice rushed to Enjolras. Grantaire had no pulse, but Enjolras was clinging on to life. None of them had hit the rosette over his heart. She took his hand, the pain in his blue eyes terrifying. "I love you. I'm not leaving you." She kissed his brow tearfully.

"Told you that you'd be the last thing I see. I love you, Alice," he said, squeezing her hand.

"Don't talk like that! Please don't talk like that."

"Alice…" his expression changed suddenly, "Run!"

"The barricade is over. I don't need to-" she was cut short by a blow to the head, falling unconscious next to the bleeding Enjolras. The soldiers had returned to finish off anyone that they had left behind.

Enjolras saw them leave and managed to find a pulse in Alice's wrist before blacking out.


	24. The Hospital

Alice awoke in a bed, looking up at a dark ceiling. Sheets separated her on both sides from other beds. From all first appearances, she seemed to be in a hospital of sorts, the sounds of coughing and retching confirming it from all sides. How did she get there? The last thing she remembered was being in a darkened room, soldiers walking back in after they had shot Enjolras and Grantaire. Enjolras! What had become of him?!

A man in a coat came by, noticed that she was awake, and insisted on testing her vision. "I'm fine!" she protested.

"You've been out for three days," said the man, cleaning his glasses, "I would hardly call that fine. I'm Doctor Ressoude. Call me Hugo," he shook her hand, "The government doesn't know that we have you. They have been hunting down any revolutionaries that they knew were on the barricades if they didn't have the body. Luckily we got there before they came back. Welcome to the Medical School of Paris' Hospital."

"Hugo, there was a man in the room that you found me in," Alice dared to hope, 'Who was shot seven or eight times. His name was Enjolras…"

"Curly blonde hair, red coat, blue eyes?"

"Yes."

The doctor smiled, "He is a fighter, that one. He got very lucky. We were able to sew him up and now we just have to wait for him to heal and pray his wounds won't get infected. It was a miracle hey missed his heat and his head. The National Guard doesn't have the best marksmen."

"You mean that he's alive?"

"Yes," Hugo looked grave, "But it's going to be a while before he is back to normal. He won't be out of here for a while. Recovery will be an uphill battle in itself."

"Where is he? Can I see him? When do you think he will be out of here?"

"In the bed to your left, and not for a day or so, just in case you have any serious head trauma. May I remind you that you were unconscious for three days, mademoiselle. You two were very lucky. And I don't know when he will be out of here. It all depends. I assume he is of some importance to you?" Hugo raised an eyebrow.

"Yes," she smiled, "Thank you for saving him, Monsieur le Doctor. Thank you for saving us both."

The doctor was about to say something when a faint and very pained voice filtered through the curtain. "Alice…"

"Got to go," Hugo dashed off as his other patient awoke.


	25. The Mysterious Visitor

Alice was permitted to visit Enjolras the next day. She pulled a chair up next to his bed, taking his hand and watching him sleep peacefully. He felt cold, almost dead. Well, he had almost died…

His red coat was hung on the back of the chair, obviously washed while they had both been unconscious. Some hospitable nurse had washed the blood and the grime of the barricades off of their clothes while they were knocked out. Someone had also wiped the blood from his face – he was angelically handsome and amazingly pale in the wan light of the hospital's back rooms that were hiding those injured on the barricades.

He opened his eyes, startlingly blue against his pale skin. He blinked a few times, hoarsely asking, "Alice?"

"I'm here, Enjolras," she said, giving him a tender kiss, "They saved us.'

"Marry me."

"What?"

"Marry me, before I lose you again." He handed her a box that the nurse had put on a table next to the bed when she had washed their clothes. "Marry me, Alice. I love you."

It was a simple ring, only one diamond on a silver band, but it meant the world to Alice. "Yes," they kissed again. When they broke apart, Enjolras was looking at something behind Alice. She wheeled around and saw the mysterious man that had appeared on the barricade and killed the spy Javert. "Monsieur?"

"Monsieur, you must know. Are we the only survivors?" Enjolras asked.

"The three of us and Marius Pontmercy, although he is in quite a perilous condition," said the man.

"Send him our regards, Monsieur," Alice told him. The man nodded, departing after wishing Enjolras a speedy recovery.


	26. The Pontmercy Wedding

By February of 1833, Enjolras was doing much better. He and Alice habitually walked down to the Champs Elysees and back to the hospital. He was even allowed out to go to the Pontmercy wedding, which was quite an affair.

He and Alice were shrouded in black, in mourning for their friends (well, except for the red coat, which Enjolras rarely went without), and they melted into the shadows on their return to the hospital. A beggar man stopped them, asking for a few francs, which Alice gave. "I know you! You were on the barricade with my Eponine! Oh, I could make a fortune with you!" the man squealed.

"You would make yourself a prisoner, Thénardier. They're looking for you as well," Alice told him, "Now go away. We need to get back… Enjolras, hide!" A policeman had just turned around the corner. Enjolras pulled Thénardier behind a bush, the two of them watching Alice.

"Mademoiselle, what are you doing out here this late all alone?" the officer asked, "Would you like an escort home? The streets are not safe out here."

"I can fend for myself, monsieur."

"Are you sure? There was quite a scuffle down on the Rue de la Chanvererie a few months ago, what f another breaks out and you are caught in the middle?"

"I can fight for myself, sir," she told him, getting a bit annoyed, "I was nearby when that happened and had to fight my own way out."

"My dear, a pretty girl such as yourself is in quite a lot of danger out – OUCH!" Alice had twisted his arms behind him and had the man pinned. "I can handle myself, merci. Perhaps you should go down to the Rue de la Chanvererie and visit the Corinthe. They have great wine."

She let him go, the man speeding away.

Enjolras and Thénardier came out to meet her. "That was amazing," Enjolras smiled.

"I owe you my life, my good lady," Thénardier kissed her hand, "If I ever may be of service, ask for Thénardier in the streets and Baron du Thenard in society." He ran off into the shadows.


	27. Another Wedding

Enjolras and Alice had a beautiful wedding. On the 15th of March, a small group filed into the Corinthe for a ceremony that was not as elaborate as the Pontmercy wedding, but just as touching. Cosette, Gibelotte, Matelote and Madame Hucheloup were fussing over Alice's dress as Marius gave Enjolras a pep talk, Monsieur Fauchelevent (the mysterious man had a name after all) joining them. Various others started arriving… it was chaos.

As the happy couple said, "I do," several people began to clap and cry, and a new man entered as silently as a thief – it was Thénardier, come to watch the ceremony and disappear quietly once again. The party lasted well into the morning, Enjolras and Alice disappearing to their room upstairs almost unnoticed by the guests.


	28. Rude Awakening

Alice and Enjolras lay cuddled up in their bed as the Notre Dame bell tower struck three in the afternoon. "You're amazing," Alice smiled as Enjolras wound an arm around her. "I love you. I don't ever want to get up."

"I love you too," he kissed her cheek as someone began banging on the door. He got up to find a distraught Madame Hucheloup.

"The Guard is here. I'll stall them, you two have to run. They've found you! Hurry now!"

"There will be no need to hurry," said a Guardsman walking up the stairs. "You are under arrest, traitors."


	29. Montparnasse

Enjolras put a protective arm around Alice as they sat down in the waiting carriage and began to move. They were headed to the High Court of Paris and to a sure condemnation. They were to be sentenced without a trial.

Four Guardsmen accompanied them in the back of the carriage like they were highly dangerous criminals. There was no escape. They were chained together when they were brought out, many spectators lining the streets to see the traitors on trial.

"Monsieur Enjolras," said the judge in the overly crowded courtroom, 'You have been found guilty of inciting rebellion." Alice wound her fingers through Enjolras' as the judge pronounced, "For this, you will be sentenced to a lifetime of servitude and hard labor at Le Bagne de Rochefort." The judge turned to Alice, "You, mademoiselle, for the crime of assisting in an armed rebellion, will also be sentenced to a lifetime of servitude at Le Bagne du Rochefort."

They were taken to the local jail and locked in a cell with five other prisoners. They were to head out for the next day for Le Bagne du Rochefort, one of the most feared prisons in France.

"This can't be it," Enjolras said, "There has to be a way out of this. It can't all end like this…"

"Eponine would know what to do," Alice mused.

"'Ponine? 'Ponine Thénardier?" asked a man in the cell.

"Yes," Alice said, "do you know her?"

"She is the Thénardiers daughter, died on the barricade just a little bit ago. The name's Montparnasse," the man shook their hands.

"When you leave, can you get word to Thénardier that the girl who knew Eponine is in jail? He owes me his life. He will know what to do," Alice said, taking off her necklace and handing it to the man, "This is for your troubles. I owe Thénardier nothing. He owes me his life, and do not let him forget that."

"Alice, don't-" Enjolras said.

"I have to give that to him. We must pay the man for getting the one to save us."

"QUIET IN THERE!" a guard yelled.

"Thank you," Alice whispered to Montparnasse.


	30. Rochefort

Prison was awful. Upon their arrival, everything was taken from them and replaced with prison issue clothes. Alice was allowed to keep her wedding ring, since she would be working in the hospital. She held Enjolras' hand as a guard burned the letters "TFP" (travaux forces a perpetuite – hard labor for life) into his shoulder. She was spared this because of her work, but Enjolras was told that he would be working in the galleys. They would rarely, if ever, be allowed to see each other.

They were given a few moments to say goodbye, then wrenched apart. They hadn't even been married for a week.

Alice's work in the hospital wasn't as bad as it was lonely. There was a lot to be done, and sometimes a man couldn't be saved, but the work wasn't too hard. She had made friends quickly with some of the women working there with her. They were lodging in her dormitory, which looked like a palace compared to the area where the galley slaves slept.

Appoline, the head nurse, was from the South. She was in her fifties and acted like Alice was her own child, accepting her immediately and pitying her for being in jail on a life sentence at such a young age. She had been arrested during the revolts against Napoleon and would be getting out in ten years, though she wasn't counting down the days. She devoted herself tirelessly to her work, not thinking much about life on the outside.

Jeanne, in her mid thirties, was the one closest to Alice's age. She was always there to weep with if Alice missed Enjolras – her own husband was in the galleys. They had been brought in for stealing a set of silver from a bourgeoisie family to feed their starving child. The fate of this child was unknown. He was away in the market when his parents were arrested and hauled off to Rochefort.

Vadoma, the eldest, was a gypsy fortune teller who had been brought in with her husband for some petty crime and never left. Her son had grown up to be a guard, and he had left Rochefort for Toulon years before. She spoke only a little French, but she would always shake her head at Alice and muse, "Poor little angel."

They would clamor for details every time Alice saw Enjolras. In a way, it was the highlight of their week, reminding them of their own husbands. Did he look well? Was he strong? Was he eating enough? Had the guards beaten him badly? What did he report about the prisoners' conditions? Had he seen Jeanne's husband? They were chained on the same line and got to talk to each other, so he would sometimes have a report for Jeanne that would unfailingly make her light up.

It had been a little over a month since Alice and Enjolras entered Rochefort when she had started to feel ill. At first she had figured it was a cold or something picked up from working in close quarters of the hospital, a veritable stew of diseases. But then she didn't get better, and it was quite worrying.

"Alice, you're getting a bit…how do I say this politely?" Appoline was sitting on her bed, next to Alice's, after a long and strenuous day of work. Three men had fallen in an accident in the quarries and had to be attended to. "Fat."

"But they barely feed us here," Jeanne came over, settling on the end of Alice's bed, "unless…" Her gaze shifted from Appoline to Alice's stomach, then up to her eyes, her jaw dropping right along with the others, "Unless… no…"

Alice put a hand to her stomach, saying, "Oh no… it can't be…"

Vadoma merely shook her head, saying, "Poor little angel."


	31. Enjolras in Prison

While Alice was working in the hospital, Enjolras was hard at work in the quarries. The other prisoners accepted him quickly and approved of his ideas of revolution.

He was not popular with the guards, who made him do harder work than the others and punished him severely for any infractions of the rules. They had heard stories that he was the one who had started the uprising in Paris and had gotten so many of their National Guard relatives killed. The other prisoners, however, disapproved of this. They sometimes objected and wanted to share the punishments for things that they had all done wrong but Enjolras had been blamed for, to the point that the guards were beginning to fear that they would all revolt.

He missed Alice terribly, treasuring the time that they were allowed together. He was escorted to the hospital one day during the second month of their imprisonment, where Alice flew into his arms and whispered, "We have to get out of here now. I have bad news."

The guards left, going off to their quarters. It was late, and it had gotten dark quickly. New guards would be on patrol of the perimeter, so they would know if Enjolras tried to run instead of heading back to the galley slaves' quarters like he was supposed to.

"What is it? Is something wrong? Are you sick?" he asked, his smile fading into worry.

Alice pulled two chairs into the corner of the hospital's wing, waiting for him to sit down and taking his hands into hewer own. "Alice, darling, what's wrong?" He gazed at her with that blue gaze that she so adored.

"Enjolras, we have to get out of here. You're going… you're going to be a father."

"What? Are you sure? That's… wow," he ran through the same whirlwind of emotions that Alice had gone through in the past few days in seconds.

"Yes."

"Oh Alice," he said, pulling her into a strong embrace that she had missed, "I love you. I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

"Perhaps I can be of assistance." The prisoner from the bed closest to their corner had gotten up and was leaning against the wall as naturally as if he had been there that whole time. He smiled a devious smile, removing a cap that had been filched from the prison laundry. It was n0ot a prisoner after all. It was Thénardier.


	32. Escape

True to his word, Montparnasse had gotten the message to Thénardier, who had called all of Patron Minette together and decided that they needed to break Enjolras and Alice out of prison. Thénardier had no choice in the matter – he owed these people his life, and that was not a debt that he took lightly.

If you were to know two things about his type of people, it was that they were always out for money, and that they did not like to have any sort of debt, be it monetary or otherwise. Thénardier hated knowing that he owed them anything. So of course, he had to take action. He had broken into the prison easily, just going in through the gaggles of prisoners coming back in from the quarries a few miles away. Joining up with the lines had been no problem. Getting the three of them out unnoticed would be a bigger issue.

He had found them in the hospital, conveniently together. "Let's go. There's no time to lose."

He led them out of the building, and staying close to the wall, past the first sweep of guards. They had almost reached the fence when someone called, "Who goes there?!"

"It is I, Inspector Thenard," Thénardier called, taking off his prison garb to reveal an aged officer's uniform. He stepped out in front of the young guard, who instinctively took a step back. This man was a hero – his various medals showed that he had been at Waterloo.

"Quite sorry, Inspector," the younger man nodded as if bowing, "I am new here, and not used to the patrols quite yet. I don't recall meeting you, Monsieur."

"I am here for a few days to see how justice is being administered," Thénardier lied through his teeth, "I will be transferring a few prisoners, but as they are rater, high-profile, it shall be done at night to avoid the others getting curious. You know, Sir that curious prisoners tend to demand too much."

"Yes, Sir," said the guard. "I am quite sorry to disturb you, Sir."

"Be on your way, boy. I have heard that there is something going on in the recreation hall. I will be on my way over there shortly myself."

The guard turned around and headed off towards the hall. Thénardier motioned for Alice and Enjolras to follow him. "Act like I am a guard here," he instructed.

He walked them straight up to the gates, where another guard asked where they thought they were going. Thénardier again told them about his transfer of prisoners to Toulon. "These two are going tonight, since they are lifetime prisoners. You see, my good man, that5 the lifetime prisoners are being slowly brought to Toulon. This one will be kept for the smaller criminals, as it is closer to important cities. A break-out from Toulon would be easier to contain."

"But you have no vehicle," said the guard suspiciously.

"Why it is right there," Thénardier pointed. The man turned his head, Thénardier knocking him out as he looked away. They ran through the gates and into a waiting carriage, Montparnasse driving away quickly.

"And there you are, your lives in exchange or mine," he said. "We will be dropping you off in the country. A Monsieur le Baron Pontmercy and his wife the Baroness have sent you these," he gestured to a few trunks and boxes loaded in the carriage, "they took it upon themselves to pack up your things. You will find all that you need there. Monsieur le Baron sends his regards, and Madame de la Baroness sends hers as well."

They drove for a while before reaching a nondescript little town, M_ sur M_, in the country. There was a factory there, now closed, and a bunch of little shops lined up along the street. It was a good place to make a new life. Thénardier let them out and gave them their things, advising Enjolras to never let anyone but Alice see the letters burned into his shoulder. He drove off into the night, leaving them alone in the little town.

They changed in an alley, stuffing their prison clothes into an opening of the sewer. Enjolras carried most of their things at his insistence, Alice taking the lightest suitcases.

They arrived at a small inn, where Enjolras knocked. An old woman answered, holding a candle. "What are the two of you doing out at this time of night? Don't you know that it's nearly four in the morning?"

"Yes, Madame," Alice said meekly, "But my husband and I have been travelling. You see, our parents did not really want us to marry, but we're so in love. My father got into the wine cabinet, and we had to run. His mother, the only one who approved, told us to pack up and head out, to just get away from their fiery ideas and beliefs. We took a carriage until the money ran out, and they dumped us off here on the street."

The woman smiled at Alice, saying, "You know, my father never approved much of my husband either, but he was a fine young man. Killed too early in the army, he was." She let them in, Alice giving her a few sous that she scrounged up from her pockets and Enjolras'. The woman led them into a downstairs room, saying, "I will have breakfast started at eight, if you are up by then. Lunch is at twelve, dinner at six. I'll see to it that your room is cleaned every few days." She turned to Alice, adding, "Your husband looks like an honest man. Treasure that, my dear, before life gets in the way." The innkeeper closed the door and headed back to her room upstairs.

Enjolras and Alice set their things down, falling into each others' arms. "We can start over here," he said with a smile, "I love you, Alice."

"I love you too, Enjolras. You're going to be a great father."


	33. Café ABC

Five years later, Alice and Enjolras had finally started to set down roots in M_ sur M_. They had opened a small café, Enjolras insisting on calling it the Café ABC. They lived in the rooms above the café, a modest life, but one that they loved. They did good business and didn't attract too much attention, especially from the government.

Enjolras had still retained his revolutionary ideals, often telling Alice about them, that when the world was ready, they could do something great. He and Alice made a covert visit to Paris when they had finally purchased the café, both to visit the Pontmercys and the cemetery.

They made quite a picture there, the man who looked as if he was wearing a halo with an arm around his pregnant wife, staring down at the gravestones. They visited once a year, soon accompanied by a small child. When the child was five, he understood where they were. And why his father cried every time they went there, his mother having to hold him until he managed to stop. His father almost never cried – his mother did, but that was usually only when she read a particularly moving letter from Uncle Marius and Aunt Cosette. His father almost never cried, except when they visited that place full of stones.

They were Papa's friends, the men beneath these stones. He knew that much. They would have been his uncles, but they all had died on something called a barricade, Maman had said, when she and Papa were trying to get rid of the king.

That he could understand – he too would be sad if all of his friends were gone. This was the saddest part of the year, when they would visit Aunt Cosette and Uncle Marius… and Papa's stones. They were Papa's stones – no one else ever came to visit them. Papa and Maman were the only one, the only friends that these men under the stones had that were still alive. Aunt Cosette didn't let Uncle Marius visit them. She never let him go with them on their visits either, so they always went with just the three of them.

Aunt Cosette was going to have a baby – would they visit as a family? Or would the child never know?


	34. Barricade of His Dreams

Enjolras woke up in tears. It had been so real… Alice wrapped her arms around him like she did every time he had that dream – almost every night. "Was it the same one?" she asked.

"Yes," said Enjolras as he held her tight, "the barricade." It was always the same dream. He appeared on the barricade again, with all of his friends. He saw them die one by one just as they had in real life, but he saw all of them, even those he wasn't bear enough to say goodbye to. It was a long and horrifically bloody battle, but then he and Grantaire were cornered. But wait! It wasn't him and Grantaire – Alice stood by Grantaire's side this time. He tried to scream, to warn her, to pull her away, to stop the Guardsmen… but he couldn't. Alice simply smiled and waved at him, her expression only changing when she had already been shot, as if she had just realized hat she had gotten herself into.

He would wake up tense and in tears, half of the time still screaming as well. Alice had simply put her arms around him, saying comforting things as only she could. She would talk about anything and everything, her voice slowly calming him down as she stroked his hair, running her fingers through the golden curls. "I'm right here, darling. There's nothing wrong. I'm right here…"


	35. Another Nightmare

The door creaked open, spilling orange candlelight onto the bed. A small shadow stood there, illuminated only by the light of the candle that he carried. Enjolras bolted up, thinking that it was the Guardsmen, coming to get them at last, only relaxing when he saw it was a little boy. Alice yawned as he said, "Gav, go back to sleep."

"But Papa, I had a nightmare," the child bounded over and put the candle down, crawling up into Enjolras' arms. Alice smiled – they looked so much alike, apart from the fact that the younger one had brown hair, much unlike his father's angelic gold curls. "Papa, there were men with guns. A lot of them. They were looking for you."

Enjolras and Alice exchanged a worried glance, but Alice told him, "No one's coming after Papa. We're safe here in M_ sur M_."

A silent conversation went on between her and Enjolras – "Did he overhear us talking about the barricade and the Guardsmen? And the prison?" "No, I don't think so." "About your dreams?" "No." "Then how could he have known…?" "No idea."

Enjolras picked up his son and carried him back to his own room. "Goodnight, Gavroche. We're safe here. No one is coming to get us, and no one is coming to find the café. No one is looking for me." He closed the door and headed back to Alice.


	36. Trust Gavroche

The next night, Enjolras woke up again, having the same nightmare. Alice wound her arms around him as she was accustomed to. "Alice, what if they are out there looking for us? We led the biggest revolution of the decade, and then we escaped from a government prison. We can't be that unknown to the National Guard."

"They have a lot more people to look after. That Thénardier and his gang, for example. They're on the government's list too, and they aren't exactly living low."

The door burst open, Gavroche running in to find them. "Maman, Papa, the men with guns are here! They're looking for you!"

"That's ridiculous. You've had another nightmare," Enjolras immediately told him, "They aren't looking for me. They have other people to find."

While he was saying this, a loud noise could be heard from outside. It sounded almost like a mob, talking, jeering and laughing. Alice peeked out of the drapes, and what she saw terrified her. There were an orderly group of men, indeed armed with guns, holding burning torches that cast an eerie glow over the street. The National Guard insignia was on their uniforms. They were knocking on doors, scaring the homeowners out of their beds, and entering. They left the houses when they had conducted a full search. There was only one thing that they could be looking for – Enjolras' family.

Alice turned away, looking back at eh other two. "Enjolras, he's right. They're here."

"Gav, go pack up your things, quick! We're going to get out of here," Enjolras told the boy.

He skipped off with his candle, saying, "Trust Gavroche! The men are here!"

Alice and Enjolras changed quickly, putting on black clothes that they had kept since the funeral of those on the barricade. They stuffed things into suitcases, packing up their whole lives in minutes. The soldiers had reached the start of their block when they are ready. Enjolras had three suitcases, Alice took two and all of their money, Gavroche had two of his own. They were heading out the back door and into0 the alleyway when a knock came on their door.

Alice looked at Enjolras – they had only a few options, and a limited amount of time to decide. Open the door, and they were caught. Don't open the door, and they were going to be suspected. Then the soldiers would break in and search the whole house. "Go," Alice told them, "I'll be right there."

She stowed the bags that she was carrying by the back door, Enjolras and Gavroche sneaking into the alley as she headed for the front door. When the back was closed, she opened the front door with a yawn.

"So sorry to disturb you at this hour, Madame, but we have gotten word that some escaped convicts are in the area."

"Escaped convicts!" she shrieked, "Murderers? Oh, what will I do if they come here! My son is but five years old, and with my husband ill…"

"We're here to make sure that they don't get to you, Madame. Do you mind if we come in and search the house?" a Guardsman asked.

"Go right ahead," Alice pretended to look fearful, "Search it from top to bottom, my good men. Please, don't be afraid of waking the others. I just want them safe!"

The Guardsmen came inside and headed upstairs first. When they had all reached the second story landing, Alice took her things and slipped out the back door. Enjolras and Gavroche were waiting for her in the shadows. "Let's go," she told them. "I don't think we have much time until; they notice my family isn't there and that I've disappeared."

They ran for it, making it to the bridge before they saw the angry torchlight move out of the house and heard shouts of "The convicts! We had them in our shackles already! Gone!" They headed over the bridge and into the cover of the woods, starting the walk back towards Paris.


	37. The Farmer

They had walked for miles, Enjolras conceding to carry Gavroche for a while. The moon lit their path as they made their way through the forest, trying not to make any noise. The Guardsmen had horses, and could descend upon them at any minute, so they had to keep moving.

The sun had started to come up when Gavroche fell asleep in Enjolras' arms, still clutching on to his suitcases for dear life. It looked so sweet –the little boy in his father's arms, holding on to all he had left in the worlds as the sun flecked his father's hair with golden light, making him look like a saint carrying a child out of a battle zone.

They walked on until they reached the edge of the patch of woods. The next part of their journey was open and flat, with only one road. If they were to be caught, it would probably be here. There was nowhere to run. Bullets would be able to find them on this road instantly. Enjolras set Gavroche down, and he and Alice went into the shadows to change out of their black clothes. a couple in mourning would be highly suspicious walking along the open road.

They began to walk again, picking up the pace and trying to get away from the flat, open road as quickly as possible without attracting much attention. "Hello there!" someone called. Enjolras and Alice thought they were dead, but a farmer pulled his cart up, stopping his h0rses next to him. "Where are you folks headed? And why are you carrying so much?"

"We're heading to Paris" Alice told him. Enjolras let her talk, since he was a very bad liar, "Would you mind giving us a lift? We don't have much money. Not nearly enough to take a cart, and my sister is going to have a baby any day now. We're going to see her – it's her first child." This was in part true – Cosette's baby was due soon, and it was her first child. She just wasn't related to Alice and they weren't on their way to Paris strictly to visit the Pontmercys.

"I can get you a little close to there, but I'm just heading into the next town to drop off a day's crops,' said the farmer. "It won't be very far, but it will be over the next bridge."

They climbed onto the cart, jostling for space with baskets filled with bunches of grapes. Alice leaned her head against Enjolras' shoulder, falling asleep for a few minutes before they hit a rocky patch in the road that jolted them all awake. "Papa, where are we?" Gavroche asked with a yawn.

"A nice farmer is taking us a bit close to Aunt Cosette and Uncle Marius' house. He didn't want us to have to walk all the way," Enjolras explained. That was their story, and they were going to stick to it.

The town was a fair distance away, almost an hour y cart, surely longer on foot. Gavroche had been pointing out a bunch of sheep in a pasture when they stopped suddenly. "Inspection," the farmer explained. A man on a horse rode over, looking into the cart, he asked for their papers, and all of the color drained out of Alice and Enjolras' faces.

"Paper," the man asked again. Alice pulled them out, gingerly handing them to him as if they were gunpowder ready to explode. The inspector looked them over, nodded, and said, "Everything seems to be in order, convicts."


	38. The Cart

"Convicts? Excuse me?" Alice asked.

"The infamous galley slaves that escaped Rochefort five, almost six years ago," the inspector said. The farmer was alarmed, almost panicking. He looked around, trying to figure out who the inspector was talking to. "Madame, I am so sorry. But your farmer friend here is a murderer."

"What?" asked Alice, "But you said convict**s. **As in two or more. My husband and I are good, upstanding people. How dare you accuse us of being galley slaves!"

"Not you, Madame. Nor your husband, for that matter. This man here was part of a gang that was arrested almost six years ago and sent to Le Bagne du Rochefort. They all escaped in a mass breakout. I am merely assuming he has another one hidden somewhere in this cart. Bands of thieves and murderers never travel alone."

The inspector searched the cart from top to bottom, looking for hidden compartments and other places to hide a prisoner. He found none, but took the farmer away, giving Enjolras and Alice the cart in return for being so cooperative and helpful. If they hadn't delayed the man, he would have gotten away, they were told.

So Alice and Enjolras were left with a cart full of grapes. They decided to go ahead and head into the town, where they gave the grapes to a few women sweeping the street. They headed off with an empty cart, Gavroche and the suitcases sitting in the back.

"We are amazingly lucky," Alice said as they headed out of the town, "I thought he had us for sure."

"Me too. Well, we only have two more hours before we reach Paris. This is going to be an interesting one to explain to Marius."


	39. Fantine

They reached Paris just as it started to rain. Enjolras pulled the cart up in front of the Pontmercys' house, several people looking out the windows at them. Marius ran out to meet them, helping them bring their things inside. "What happened? What's the surprise visit for? It isn't even close to June, when you usually visit. How did you make it before the snow?" Marius asked. It was the beginning of December, and sure enough, it had begun to snow, not rain.

"The National Guard showed up," Enjolras explained, "and we knew we had to get out of there, even if they weren't looking for us. It turns out that they were."

"Well, they figured that you headed out of Paris. They'll never find you here," Marius told them, "and we have a surprise for you too."

Cosette came downstairs to meet them, holding a little girl in her arms. "She's only a few weeks old. I assume you didn't get the letter?"

"No, we had to run before the mail came. What's her name?"

"Fantine, after my mother," Cosette smiled. The girl looked just like her, blue eyes and all.

They were given a few rooms to stay in before they bought a house in Paris, and Marius and Cosette treated them like family. Enjolras insisted on visiting the cemetery a few times a week, sometimes accompanied by Alice, sometimes lone, when he went out there late at night. Alice had followed him once, watching his shadow move over the stones as he touched each one and said a few words to his friends. She ran to his side as he stood there sobbing in the darkness, noticing for the first time that the gravestones were actually stones taken from the barricade, the large street stones that Enjolras had had them tear up.

Otherwise, life went well. Except… "What happened to Monsieur Fauchelevent?" Alice asked Marius one day.

"He died," Marius told her solemnly, "His name was Jean Valjean. A convict who broke parole, and spent the rest of his life redeeming himself."

"And Thénardier?"

"He went off to America. Perhaps he'll do better there."


	40. Without Them

Life went on. Enjolras and Alice eventually moved out and into a house nearby. Enjolras bought the Café Musain, converting it into the Café ABC, and establishing it just like the one that they had in M_ sur M_. Business was much better, since they were in the heart of Paris, and Enjolras had started a few revolutionary meetings a month in one of the back rooms.

Marius had been the first to sign up. Their first meeting was very small, just Marius, Enjolras, Alice and Gavroche, but they began to grow. Madame Hucheloup showed up for the next one, accompanied by Gibelotte and Matelote, who brought their brothers. The brothers brought friends, the friends brought other friends, and the other friends brought relatives. Soon enough, they had filled up the room.

It was just like the meetings of Les Amis de l'ABC, but… different.

"Alice, we can't call ourselves the ABC," Enjolras told her one day as they were cleaning up from the meeting, "This whole thing seems… wrong. Like we're imitating things and trying to make it just like things used to be. We can't bring the ABC back without all of them."

"I know," Alice kissed his cheek as she walked by with an armful of dishes, "We can't bring the ABC back because we can't bring** them** back. It's nice here, and we're doing what is right, but without Grantaire sitting there drinking, Prouvaire waxing poetic, Combeferre and Courfeyrac debating each other… without all of them, it isn't the same. Yes, we can have another drunk, another poet, and others, but not them."

"It seems like we're trying to bring them back, though. Or, to fake bringing them back."

"I would say it was your idea to start this up again, but it does seem like we're almost substituting one meeting for another..."

"Maman, Papa, look what I found!" Gavroche ran in carrying what looked like a book.

Alice's face went pale as she asked, "Where did you find that?"


	41. A Book

"What is it?" Enjolras asked as Alice took the book from Gavroche. "There's… blood on the cover."

She looked up at him gravely. "A wedding present from a few… deceased friends of ours." She sighed, explaining, "It was Prouvaire's idea. I kind of overheard him telling Combeferre and Gavroche – the first Gavroche, Eponine's brother – that he saw you buying a ring and knew what was going on. He had all of them write a little something for us. They were passing this around on the barricade. Thénardier apparently went through some people's pockets and decided to return this to us. It was in one of the suitcases he gave us… Enjolras, I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but it was too soon…"

"It's fine. Have you read it?"

"Not yet," she said, "I couldn't bring myself to."

_Enjolras and Alice,_

_An angel showed us_

_The revolutionary_

_Could love and fight too._

_Prouvaire_

_Enjolras and Alice,_

_I hope you are as happy now as I was with my Cosette. May your worst day together be better than what I fell now that she is going to England. – Marius_

_I can't believe you two are getting married. Alice, it seems like I just met you, just saved you from Patron-Minette… but you have saved me from starving countless times over. If I die tonight, please take care of my brother. He's all I have. Love for both of you,_

_Eponine_

_Lovebirds,_

_Can't believe I was woken up to write something as sappy as this. Well, have fun, lots of love, all that junk. Have good wine at your wedding. C'mon, revolutionary boy, drink with me! – Grantaire_

_Bold as Fire and his angel that came from Heaven by the rue Saint-Denis,_

_Have lots of fun, stay in love, and I will be seeing you around. You'll have a beautiful wedding in freedom, and we'll all be there! – Gavroche_

_We may not all survive here, but my prayers are with you. Take care of Gavroche for me, will you? He's like a son to me. Keep everyone safe. I don't think I'm going to make it out of here. All of my best wishes for freedom, hope, and love,_

_Courfeyrac_

_Is Enjolras in love at last? I can't believe it! Love her with all of your heart, my friend! We knew something was up from the start! – Combeferre_

_Enjolras and Alice,_

_All of my best wishes to you. You both are amazing leaders. I pray that G-d will bring you both home safely to each other. You two are young; I am old and should die instead of you. Keep each other safe and keep each other close. Again, all of my best wishes,_

_Jean Valjean_

Both of them read in silence, looking at the sad little book with tear-filled eyes. It was the last memories of some of their friends, the last words that they would ever say to them. Someone had stuck in pictures taken at the Café Musain and the Corinthe – who had a working camera? No, these were drawn… probably Feuilly.

Enjolras resolved to not make the new meetings into the old ABC meetings – they would never be the same, not after this. Little did he know, the world wouldn't be the same a decade later.


	42. The Barricades of Freedom

Business had gone well at the Café ABC. They had not been discovered, which was the most important thing. The revolutionary meetings had gone well and were in full swing by 1848. The Pontmercys had had two more children, and Gavroche had grown up quite a lot. Alice was astounded to find that he was almost fourteen – he looked so much like Enjolras, without the halo of blond hair. She didn't remember them getting any older, but they were into their thirties now… where had the time gone?

She was busy cleaning up a table when Enjolras came back from the market. "Alice! There's rioting in the streets. This is it! The National Guard is fighting with us!" He ran into the Café, startling the customers. Gavroche followed on his heels, pleading to be allowed to fight.

"Maman, please let me go out there and defend the barricades! We have to! You and Papa did last time!"

"The Café is closed, everyone! Finish your drinks and clear on out!" Enjolras yelled to the customers. "Alice, Marius and I are fighting. He'll probably send Cosette over here, or you should head to their house. Just be careful, and lock the doors and don't let anyone in unless it's one of us. About the tables, the chairs, everything…"

"Take them," she said. She hated having to buy new ones, but the revolutionary fever had been growing all over Paris, and it had finally reached its boiling point. They needed all the furniture that they could get to barricade the streets. "Gavroche-"

The boy had run back into the room from upstairs, carrying a gun. Alice sighed and said, "Yes."

He ran out the door, joining a group of his friends and their fathers, who had armed themselves likewise and were in the process of blocking up the streets with things from the shop across the road. Enjolras rushed down the stairs soon after, wearing his red coat and rosette, just as he had on the 1832 barricades. "Alice, this will never be the same. I pictured triumph with all of my friends… it won't be what we dreamed, but at least we'll be free." He pulled her into a hug. "I'll try to keep him safe. I promise I will. We aren't losing our son." He kissed her and turned to leave.

"Wait."

"No '_stay safe, Enjolras, I love you_'?"

"I'm coming with you." She grabbed a weapon and a rosette, took his hand, and together, they headed out to the barricades.


	43. The new Revolution

Gavroche and a group of his friends (accompanied by their fathers and brothers) had finished barricading the street in front of the Café by the time Alice and Enjolras got there. National Guardsmen were on both sides, fighting for the revolution and against it. The Guardsmen outside of the barricade had formed firing lines and were discharging their weapons at an amazing speed.

The Guardsmen inside of the barricade had gathered the people together, some doling out instructions while others took groups up to fight or led them to other, more in-danger, barricades. Alice and Enjolras attached them to Gavroche's group, which had climbed the barricade and was firing from the top.

Madame Hucheloup had showed up too, taking a place by Alice's side. "I hear they're going to be storming the Palace soon! I never thought I'd live to see this day!" She smiled jubilantly as she heaved up a stone over the barricade's edge, crushing the nearest soldiers.

"Honestly, neither did I," Alice told her, taking out an artilleryman without blinking. "Enjolras, where do they have the ammunition stored? Enjolras?" She turned, and Enjolras was gone. He had been y her side only a moment ago…

She jumped down from the barricade, leaving Hucheloup to scold the group of boys on their firing techniques, which she herself knew nothing about. Heading for the rue de la Chanvererie, she found Enjolras and a group of men that looked ready to rip the King limb from limb. "We are taking the Palace now! I am not waiting for an army – I am taking the palace that should have been ours years ago! Now who's with me?" An almighty cheer erupted, and the group began to move.

Enjolras was at the front of the mob, which had armed itself to the teeth, so Alice had to run to catch up with him. She found Gavroche in the mob as well, and pulled him along with her. "Where do you think you're going?" She asked Enjolras when she finally reached him.

"The Palace."

"Without me?"

"Let's go."

They stopped in front of the Palace gates, the two guards stationed there looking at the mob in wide-eyed horror. Enjolras smiled at them and instructed, "Let us in. Now."

The mob was silent, staring these men down. The fighting in the distance could still be heard, but the group converging on the Palace said nothing as the guards nodded in fear, slowly opening the gates.


	44. Storm the Castle

The mob trampled the gates down as they were being opened, the soldiers stationed at them being flattened in the process.

They knocked down the giant wooden doors with a thundering crash, and then split up into groups hunting for the King. Enjolras, Alice and Gavroche went upstairs and to the left, into the West corridor, and began opening doors at random. The rest of the mob went around them, preferring to smash their way in and destroy everything. A few times, a holler of "I've found him!" came up, but then someone always added, "No, never mind."

The servants and guards had fled much earlier, running into the relative safety of the streets of Paris. Only a few of them remained, and they were invariably caught by the mob and then released with orders to get out of there as quickly as they could. Thieves had gotten into the Palace with the mob, taking anything that wasn't bolted down, and even some things that were. Patron-Minette was having a field day.

Enjolras and Alice broke down the last door in the hallway, entering a small room that was decorated sparsely. It looked to be part of the servants' quarters. As they were leaving, Alice noticed that the rug beneath the couch had been moved ever so slightly and wasn't right.

"Enjolras, come here…" Together, the three of them moved the couch and the rug aside. They were faced with a trap door, which Enjolras pulled open. Peering down into the darkness, he saw four pairs of eyes; four people trying to squeeze into the far corner of the secret room.

"Please don't kill me," Whimpered one of them.

"Come out," Enjolras ordered quietly, and the four people came up into the room. The King and three of his most loyal advisers had stayed, holed up in the floor, praying that they would not be discovered. Enjolras and Gavroche readied their weapons, but Alice took Enjolras' hand and said, "Wait."

"Why?"

"I'm not having you become a murderer – again – over a piece of filth like him," she turned to the King and his company, telling them, "Get out of here. Flee to England, and never come back. I've warned you. Anything after this, and I'll let them shoot. Go out the back, take a nondescript carriage, and get out of France."

The King bowed to them, kissed her hand, and ran out of the room. "We're free," said Enjolras, "We're finally free."

Gavroche left the room in front of them, humming a tune that would have gone along with the words, "_They will live again in freedom…_"

* * *

A.N.: Well, that's the end of my first LM fanfic! Let me know what you thought and what I should write next! :)

*And don't forget to check out the sadder ending to this story (The Martyr). The stories split somewhere around chapter twenty-two or something...*


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